It’s a Wimpy’s World

A slew of new burgers for every taste.

Bar Burger:

Proust had his madeleines, Tony Soprano his gabagool;
for Dale Talde, it was McDonald’s cheeseburgers, and this, he claims, is a tribute. Nevertheless, it’s
the best new bar burger in town ($11, including one side;
get the tater tots).

Cocktail-Bar Burger:

Like its well-crafted mixed drinks, the Beagle’s superb West Coast–style cheeseburger is all about balance and proportion. The nicely crusted patty is on the svelte side, the brioche bun is buttered
and grilled, and the pickles and Thousand Island dressing are made in-house ($15 including
fried fingerlings).

Patty Melt:

Pat LaFrieda has nothing on this magnificent burger blend: It’s lamb bacon mingled with beef, and
it’s rich and drippy and delicious
in ways we’ve yet to fully comprehend. The decision
to serve it with grilled onion and good Welsh-style farmstead cheese on butter-griddled planks of rye from the neighborhood Polish bakery is a stroke of genius that could spark a patty-melt craze ($15 with salad or fries).

Veggie Burger:

Liberated from the confines
of a bready bun (and all hippie associations), the suave chickpea-bulgur-pumpkin-seed puck
is tucked into Hot Bread Kitchen’s parathalike m’smen, along with avocado, cilantro, and tomatillo sauce that could’ve been
hijacked off a taco ($8.50).

Double Cheeseburger:

One theory behind the success
of the double is that two thin patties are better than one: the top effectively basting the bottom with its meaty drippings, thereby creating an ideal ratio of juicy beef to squishy bun ($6.25).

Deli Burger:

In the wake of the dearly
departed Breakfast Burger comes the Smoked-Meat Burger, a loosely packed beef-and-pastrami
patty well browned on the griddle and topped with pickle, onion,
and a choice of Cheddar or Comté ($15). Have it with a side of poutine when the end is near.

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So what exactly does “best” mean in a city with thousands of pizza joints, hundreds of celebrity masseuses, and museum-worthy concept shops on every corner? Well, in the case of this, our annual “Best of New York” roundup, there’s a heavy emphasis on what’s new or what has somehow remained virtually unheard of (until now, of course).